ipl-logo

Gender Struggle Over Ideological Power In A Doll's House

1129 Words5 Pages

A wife who sacrifices everything that she likes, wants, aspire and dislikes in order of maintain the image of the perfect family.
One of the crucial moments of the plot is when Torvald found the letter that Krogstad left on the letterbox. After reading the content of the letter, Torvald refers to Nora as “she who was my pride and my joy- a hypocrite, a liar-worse- a criminal. Oh, the unfathomable hideousness of it all! Ugh! Ugh!” (Ibsen, p. 39) Nora was ready to come out with everything in order to feel free from a burden that she has carry away for too long. But Torvald, was just concern on how to keep the secret, this can be appreciate when he established: “I must try to pacify him in one way or another- the matter must be hushed up, cost what it may-. As for you and me, we must make no outward change in our way or life- no outward change, you understand.” (Ibsen, …show more content…

As presented at the Canadian Social Science Vol.5 No.1 (2009) Gender Struggle over Ideological Power in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, the author portrait the imaginary of the “ideal household” which was really a cover up for the struggle of ideological power between the men and the women. The article of the Canadian Social Science Vol. 5 No. 1 (2009) establish the fact that “Ibsen’s A Doll’s House focuses on social and ideological aspects, through how women are perceived, especially in the context of social values and duties of both men and women as reflected through marriage.” This point was presented through the play not only with Nora’s character but also with Mrs. Linden’s. All of the male characters in A Doll’s House were presented in a dominant and power position over the females, being able to use that position to control and manipulate their relationships with the females characters. We saw that with Nora’s and Mrs. Linden’s characters interactions with Torvald, Krogstad, Dr. Rank and Nora’s

Show More
Related

  • Essay On Nora Helmer

    1283 Words  | 6 Pages

    Nora will do whatever it takes to get it through with Krogstad that he will not tell Torvald about the money. Once again, Nora goes against the stereotypical norms for females and acts like a wife to Krogstad. She is very influential with her looks and wants to show Krogstad her undergarments which is a manipulation she is playing to get him on her side. Krogstad appreciates the show Nora has put on for him but he says that he will send a letter to Torvald and which it will discuss all the truth behind the money Nora has acquired.

    Read More

  • A Doll's House Analytical Essay

    1136 Words  | 5 Pages

    Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen was highly criticized for undeniably demonstrating woman’s issues in the 19th century. While the play doesn’t change setting much at all, Ibsen clearly focuses in on the characterization of three insightful characters: Mrs. Linde, Nora, and Helmer. Mrs. Linde is a minor character; however, that doesn’t alter her effect on the play. She provides the mold for the perfect, idealized wife. Nora, the main character, develops rapidly in the play, and her character is a stark contrast to Mrs. Linde.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis Of Torvald In 'The Doll's House'

    811 Words  | 4 Pages

    This is clear first when Torvald and Nora are talking, and this exchange happens, “Torvald. I would gladly work night and day for you, Nora — bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man would sacrifice his honour for the one he loves. Nora. It is a thing hundreds of thousands of women have done,” (III).

    Read More

  • A Doll's House Breaking Free Analysis

    1418 Words  | 6 Pages

    Torvald tells her that Nora has a duty as a mother and a wife but Nora tells him that “she is an individual”, showing that she is finally putting herself on par with Torvald, and no longer allowing Torvald to control her, but instead she is trying to gain independence and liberation from social norms in order to break free from the “Doll’s House.” She tells him that she must leave him, because “for eight years [she’d] been living with a stranger”, emphasising how there was never any proper communication and mutual understanding between them, and hence no proper marriage, as she didn’t actually know what his true character was like up until that night, as she was convinced all along that Torvald would be the man to take everything upon

    Read More

  • Conformity In A Doll's House

    1545 Words  | 7 Pages

    Torvald’s influence is intense when he says that, ‘lies fog a household and that juvenile delinquents come from a home where mother is dishonest’, and Nora feels guilt and scared that her actions will impact on her children’s future. However, Nora’s leaving is largely seeking a new understanding of herself; implying that as her children, she is in the process of growing up. Nora uses the third person ‘her mother’ when referring to herself, conveying that she does not feel close to her children. Ibsen draws two questions into Nora’s phrase to express her desperation towards knowing the answer. She asks the following questions specially to Anne-Mary because she knows that as she is from a lower social class, she is going to tell her exactly what Nora wants to hear; implying that she is insecure of her own

    Read More

  • A Literary Analysis Of A Doll's House By Henrik Ibsen

    1238 Words  | 5 Pages

    A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen, it’s a theatrical play that is full of elements related to the aspect of the “typical ideal family household” and the gender’s role. In order to maintain the structure of the play and also the literature composition, the author utilize specific details to enhance and sustain essentials points of the literature. In order to obtain and develop a complete or comprehensive literature analysis of Ibsen’s A Doll House, I made a research to assist what I thought about was Ibsen’s point of view with the theatrical play. The story began with a family portrait during Christmas festivities.

    Read More

  • What Is A Literary Argument For A Doll's House

    1319 Words  | 6 Pages

    This brings in to question whether or not it is acceptable for a woman to simply walk away from a marriage, involving three children, and not attempt to work things out. Nora realizes she and the life she has been living has been a complete construct of the way society expects her to be. Nora is Torvald’s doll and her life has not amounted to anything more than making sure he and the world around her is happy. The result of the inequalities she is faced with results in Nora being completely unhappy. Torvald fails to recognize everything that Nora does to ensure his happiness.

    Read More

  • Social Expectations In A Doll's House

    759 Words  | 4 Pages

    During act III, Nora asked to speak to Torvald after her performance of the tarantella dance. The following conversation demonstrated her quest for autonomy and freedom, as well as Torvald’s inadequate responses to her arguments and demands; it also showed how deeply connected her unhappy situation is with society’s regulation of the relationship between the sexes. She asserts that she is “...first and foremost a human being”, and her strong conviction that her womanhood, and the expectations associated with it, are secondary, strengthens her resolve to make a radical choice: A break with both husband and, with necessity due to her legal position, her children (Ibsen, 184). During her conversation with Torvald, she proclaims, “I have other sacred duties... The duties to myself (Ibsen, 184).”

    Read More

  • Social Class In A Doll's House

    958 Words  | 4 Pages

    Torvald exhibits patriarchy in his relationship with Nora as he calls her pet names and controls her eating. Nora’s demeanor is ditzy, carefree

    Read More

  • Injustice In A Doll's House

    828 Words  | 4 Pages

    First, Nora is treated like a child by her husband Torvald. Torvald had nicknames for Nora like squirrel or skylark that was often accompanied by demenors like sweet or little. At the end of the play, Nora tells her husband that he treated her like a weak, fragile doll just like her father. Nora’s feelings about Torvald’s attitude is evident in the quote from Nora and Torvald’s conversation ”I was your little songbird just as before- your doll whom henceforth you would take particular care to protect from the world because she was so weak and fragile. ”(Pg.

    Read More

  • A Doll's House Psychoanalytic Analysis

    820 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Nora’s case, she subconsciously feels guilt for lying to Torvald so she works hard to be the perfect wife towards him. Her guilt does not affect her conscious until Torvald mentions hypocritical mothers. He states, “Nearly all young criminals have had mothers who lied.” [Ibsen 1136]. This guilt causes doubt in Nora’s mind as she begins to believe that she is no longer a perfect mother.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Torvald In A Doll's House

    1029 Words  | 5 Pages

    (Page 2). He spoke to Nora as if he were speaking to a child, not his wife; there was no sense of love between the two characters in their initial introduction to the audience. Personally, I can’t connect to his character but there are some characters in books or that I have actually met that have some of Torvald’s characteristics.

    Read More

  • Gender Inequality In A Doll's House By Henrik Ibsen

    1287 Words  | 6 Pages

    This play, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, focuses on women, especially in marriage and motherhood. Torvald is a character, who describes inequality between men and women and the women’s role in the society in that era. He believes that it is an important and the only duty of a woman to be a good wife and mother. As an individual, a woman, could not conduct or run a business of her own, she needs to ask her father or husband and they were only considered to be father’s or husband’s property. Women were not allowed to vote and divorce if they were allowed they would carry a heavy social shame and it was only available when both partners agreed.

    Read More

  • Struggle For Identity In A Doll's House

    1851 Words  | 8 Pages

    When he receives the second letter and says that he is saved and that he has forgiven her calling her his "little lark", his "little squirrel", and a child. Although his response was deplorable, it must be noted that Torvald’s whole identity is grounded in his role to society with no sense of self outside it, Nora’s lie has in effect put everything he cares about in danger and once he knows that that Krogstad won’t tell, the life he saw slipping away from him is brought back and he can then resume his place in his reality. Telling her that he forgives her is in his eyes a sincere concession, one that Nora cannot accept. She says, "I have to try to educate myself. You can 't help me with that.

    Read More

  • Feminist Criticism In A Doll's House

    1349 Words  | 6 Pages

    A Doll’s House was written, published and first performed in 1879, to a societal backdrop dominated by men. Women, especially those married, were the victims of restrictive laws and expectations. Ibsen’s play revolutionised not just the superficial theatre of the time, but also criticised the social conventions of the patriarchal Norway and Europe. He condemns the economic dependency women have on their male counterpart whilst attacking the prejudices of bourgeois values. The characterisation of Nora provides the

    Read More

More about Gender Struggle Over Ideological Power In A Doll's House

Open Document